Ballot-box



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

E. C. REIOHE.

BALLOT BOX.

No. 456,847. Patented July 28, 1891.

2 +0 6 e h S m e e h s 4 l m m3 ET m .L GA B E a d O M 0 w Patented July 28, 1891.

' qwi twaooeo (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

E. G. RBIGHE. BALLOT BOX.

No. 456,847. Patented July 28, 1891,

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[ll-"mill! (No Model.) 4 SheetsSheet 4.

' E. G. REICHB.

BALLOT BOX.

Patented July 28, 1891.

I awwamtoz W M @154 %021 618014-141 Hm Wm |ihh|W//fl// MINI y w d UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST O. REIOHE, OF CHESTERTOVN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO GEORGE W. \VARFIELD AND HENRY ROHR, BOTH OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

B A L L O T B O X i'iPEGIFICAIlIO1\'l' forming part of Letters Patent No. 456,847, dated July 28, 1891.

Application filed February 10, 1891. Serial No. 380,887. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ERNEST C. REIcHE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Ohestertown, in the county of Kent and State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ballot-Boxes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

to My invention relates to improvements in ballot-boxes, the primary objects of the invention being, first, to make a printed impression on the backs of legally-cast ballots while the ballot is in position to be de- [5 posited in the box, whereby the deposit of infolded or other illegal ballots not having this impression may be detected; secondly, to provide means for registering only such ballots as have the printed impression, and, finally,

to provide means whereby manipulation of the operative parts of the ballot-box by unauthorized persons is prevented.

The invention will first be described in connection with the accompanying drawings, and

then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the ballotbox as it appears when ready for use, showing the printing device, operating-lever, and registering device. Fig.

2 is a top plan View showing the box open and the mechanism carried by the under side of the lid. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line to to of Fig. 1, showing more particularly the positions occupied 3 5 by the. printing device when in operation and when at rest, the former position being shown in dotted lines, and also the slide for closing the inlet-opening. Fig. 4c is a similar view taken on the line a; 00 of Fig. 1, showing the 7 4o operating-lever, the alarm mechanism, and

the mechanism for locking and releasing the slide for closing the inlet-opening. Fig. 5 is also a transverse sectional View taken on the line 1 y of Fig. 1, showing the operating-lever, registering device, and the mechanism for actuating the latter. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line a z of Fig. 2, showing more particularly the construction of the mechanism for locking the registering device so as to prevent its being operated after the ballot-box is closed.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the box, and B its hinged lid, carrying the mechanism for operating, respectively, the printing device, the ballot releasing and detaining slide, the registering mechanism, the inlet-closing slide, and the register-locking mechanism, all of which parts will be described in the order in which they operate.

The box A is made in the shape and of the size required, and is provided with glass sides and ends,behind one of which is located the registering mechanism C, so as to enable a voter both to see and to hear (the latter by means of the alarm mechanism) that his ballot has been properly placed within the box, as will appear later on.

D designates the printing device, which is located over the inlet-opening 1, and in the present instance is secured upon the top side of the lid of the box and is constructed of two supports 2, firmly secured to the li stamp-head 3, cccentrically mounted on a shaft 4, having its bearings in the supports 2 and carrying an ordinary lettered pad 5, a platen 6, with which the pad contacts in stamping a ballot, and an inking-roller 7, the latter being journaled in a housing or casing 8, which is connected at each end tothe upper ends of two arms 0, the lower ends of which are pivotally connected to the supports 2, a spring 10, connecting with the-shaft ll of the inking-roller and, with one of the supports, serving to keep the said roller in contact with the printing-pad.

E designates a rock-shaft, which is journaled in a bearing 12 on the lid and carries two cranks 13 13'.- The crank 13 is engaged by the lower end of an arm 14, which connects at its upper end to the stamp-head, and c the crank 13 carries a friction-roller 15, engaging the inner end of the operating-lever F, which latter, when rocked upon its bearing 16, serves through the arm ll to project the stamp-head forward to make an impres- 5 sion in an obvious manner. In order to cause the stamp-head and the operating-le- Ver automatically to resume their pormal positions after the operation of stamping a ballot, a spring 17 is employed, one end of which T00 is connected, preferably, with the crank 13 and the other end with the lid.

G designates the ballot retaining and releasing slide, which is arranged below the inlet-opening l and works between guides 18, secured to the under side of the lid. To the slide is secured one end of a pivoted springactuated lever 19, (which for an obvious reason I will designate as the slide-actuatin g lever,) the other end of which is arranged to contact with the lower end of lever 20, piv- IO oted in the lid, the upper end of which lever is formed with a cam-surface 21, designed to be engaged by the operating-lever F, as elearly'shown in Fig. 4, when the latter is pressed down, which movement rocks the le- I 5 ver 20, causing its lower end to project forward and vibrate the lever 19 and thus move the slide away from the inlet-opening. As soon as the slide reaches the limit of its backward movement a locking-spring 21 engages with the free end of the slide-actuating lever and holds it in the position to which it is moved by the lever 20, thus allowing the stamped ballot to drop into the box.

In order to release the slide-actuating lever 19 to allow the slide to close the inletopening, a pivoted releasing-lever 22 is employed, which is also located on the under side of the lid and is provided at one end with an upwardly-projecting toe 23, which is designed to be brought into engagement with the spring 21 by means of a pin 24, mounted: in a slot 25 in the lid and engaging, respectively, with the inner end 26 of the operating-lever F and the inner end 27 of the lever 22. It will be evident that when the operating-lever resumes its normal position it will exert a downward pressure upon the pin 24, thus bringing the toe 23 into engagement with the spring 21, and forcing the latter out of contact with the slide-operating lever,

whereby the latter and with it the slide are allowed to resume their normal position.

The registering device 0, to which reference has been made, consists of a toothed disk 28, suitably journaled to the end of the box and bearing numbers ranging from 1 to 100, a sliding rack-bar 29, hearing numbers from 100 to, say, 1,500, a pin 30, carried by the disk for moving the rack-bar, and a sta- 5o tionary pointer 81 for designating the unitsnumber of ballots cast. As these parts are of the ordinary construction, a detailed description of them is not thought necessary.

The mechanism for actuating the disk con- 5 5 sists of an arm 32, secured at one end within a recess 33, formed in theupper edge of that end of the box in which the register is located; a pawl 34, carried by the free end of said arm and engaging the teeth of the disk, and 60 a spring 85, interposed between the free end of the arm and bottom of the recess for keep ing the arm approximately flush with the upperedges of the recess; a pin 86, secured in the recess and extending through the free end 65 of the arm, serving the double function of retaining the spring in place and of forming a guide for the arm. To guard against any possible backward revolution of the disk, a spring-pawl 37 is employed, as is customary.

In order to operate the register simultaneously with the printing device, a push-rod 38 is employed, the upper end of which is loosely pivoted to the operating-lever F, and the lower end works in a slot 30 in the lid and contacts with the arm at 40. This push-rod is of such length that it will not actuate the arm 32 until the printing-stamp has made an impression, so that a voter by watching the disk will know when he sees it turn that his ballot has been properly stamped and deposited within the box.

H designates the alarm or signaling device, which consists of an ordinary gong 41, to the trigger 42 of which is connected one end of a rod 48, the other end of which connects with one arm 44 of a bell-crank lever pivoted upon a bracket 45, secured to the under side of the lid. The other arm 46 of the said lever is bent at right angles to the first arm, so as to form a bearing-surface for the lower free end of a push-rod 47, the upper end of which is loosely pivoted to the operating-lever F, said rod being of such a length that the gong will not be sounded until after the ballot has been deposited, so that if the gong fails to ring (if not out of order) the voter will know that his ballot has not been deposited, and will thus be enabled to prevent fraud.

I designates the inlet-closing slide, which consists of aplate 48, working in guides 49 50 on the under side of the lid. To this plate is secured a cross-piece 51, in which are rigidly mounted two rods 52, which work in bearings 53, carried by the plate 48, and are supported at their free ends and work in the openings 54, formed in a cross-piece 55. Upon each of these rods is mounted a spring 56, which bears, respectively, against the cross-piece and bearings 53 and exerts a pressure requisite to cause the plate 48 normally to cover the inlet-opening. In orderto keep the plate 48 out of operative position with regard to the inletopening, an S-shaped trigger 57 is employed, one end 58 of which engages with the crosspiece 51, a spring 59 serving to hold it in that position. The other end of the trigger is engaged by the lower end of a pivoted arm (30, the upper'end of which extends through a slot Si in the lid, as shown in Fig. 1, and is provided with a knob 02, a pivoted latch (i8 serving to prevent the accidental movement of the arm and consequent release of the trigger. Then the arm 60 is moved forward, it releases the trigger 5/, and thus allows the springs 50 to project the plate 48 forward to cover the inlet-opening, a spring (33, located in a recess 64 in the under side of the lid and above the plate, being released as the latter reaches the limit of its forward movement, and by contacting with the rear edge of the plate serves to lock it in its forward position. When the plate is to be moved away from the inlet-opening, the spring 68 is pushed from contact with the rear edge of the said IIS plate and the latter forced back until the trigger engages with the cross-piece, when the plate is again ready to be operated.

J designates a slide-bar located on the inner side of the front of the box near the top edge, which bar is supported intermediate its length by a screw 65, extending through a longitudinal slot 66, and at one end by means of a recess 67, formed in the register end of the box. The other end of the bar is rounded at 68, and is also provided with a shoulder 69, designed to engage a pin 70 to hold the bar in the position shown in Fig. 6, a spring 71, secured to the bar and to the end of the box, serving to project the former forward to cause the end 72 to pass under the arm 32, as seen in Fig. 5, so as to prevent the said arm from being pressed down by the operating-lever and thus actuate the register, the pin 70 serving to hold the bar out of contact with the arm when the box is in use. In order to release the bar J simultaneously with the releasing of the plate 48, a trigger 73 is provided, which is pivoted to the under side of the lid and is constructed at its lower end with a curved portion 74, designed to engage with a pin 75 on the cross-piece 51. The

upper end of the trigger is designed to contactwith the lower end of a pivoted lever 76, the upper end of which lever is provided with a curved beveled toe 77, which, when the lid is closed, is adjacent to the rounded end 68 of the slide-bar J, (see Fig. 6,) a spring 78, secured to the lever 76 and to the lid, serving to keep the former out of engagement with the end of the slide-rod. It will be obvious that when the arm is moved to release the trigger 57 the force exerted upon the trigger by the contact of the pin 75 therewith in the forward movement of the plate 48 will be suificient to swing the lever 76, which movement will bring the beveled toe into engagement with the roended portion 68 of the slide-bar J, by which means the latter is thrown out of contact with the pin 70, thus permitting the said bar to move forward and secure the arm 32 against downward movement. It will be seen from the foregoing description that the movement of the arm 60 releases the inlet-closing plate 48 and the slide-bar J, and also prevents the operation of the printing device, inasmuch as when the arm 32 is locked against downward movement the operating-lever cannot be pressed down a suflicient distance to operate the printing device, as the push-rod 38 will contact with the arm 32, which has previously been locked by the slide-bar I.

In operation a ballot is placed in the inlet opening and its lower end rests upon the slide G. The operating-lever is then pressed down, which movement rocks shaft E and projects the stamp-head 3 forward to cause the pad 5 to make an impression on the back of the ballot, which pad bears suitable letters and figures to indicate the ward and precinct in which the boxis used-as,forinstauce, 18 i,

6 P. As soon as the slide reaches the limit of its backward movement the spring 21 slips in front of the lever 19 and holds it and the slide back in order to allow the ballot to drop within the box after the printing device starts to resume its normal position,the lever being so held until released by the lever 22 and pin 24, in the manner described. IVhen the balloting is finished, the entire operating mechanism is locked against further operation by the arm 60, as before described.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a ballot-box, a lid having an inletopening, a slide located below the opening, and a printing device arranged above the opening, in combination with a spring-actuated lever connecting with the slide, a rockshaft connecting with the printing device, and mechanism for actuating the lever and the rock-shaft, whereby the slide and the printing device are actuated in unison.

2. In a ballotbox, a lid having an inletopening, a slide below the opening, and a printing device above the opening, in combination with a spring-actuated lever connecting with the slide, a rock-shaft connecting with the printing device, an arm arranged adjacent to the said lever, and mechanism for actuating the rock-shaft and the arm.

3. In a ballot-box, a printing device, a rockshaft connecting therewith, and a registering device, in combination with alever engaging the rock-shaft, a pawl actuated by the lever independently of the rock-shaft for operating the registering device, and a spring for automatically returning the printing device and the lever to their normal positions after the printing and registering of a ballot.

4. In a ballot-b0x,aprinting device, a rockshaft connecting therewith, and a registering device, in combination with a lever engaging the .rock-shaft, an arm carrying a pawl for engaging the register-disk, and a pushrod carried by the lever for actuating the said IIO arm, whereby the printing device and the register-disk are actuated in unison.

'5. In a ballot-box, a lid having an inletopening and a spring-actuated plate located below the opening, in combination with a trigger for keeping the plate to one side of the opening, and an arm for releasing the trigger to allow the plate to pass under the opening.

6. In a ballot-box, a lid having an inletopening, a slide located below the opening, and a spring-actuated. lever connecting with and operating the slide, in combination with a locking-spring adjacent to the said lover, a sliding pin, a releasing-lever engaging, respectively, with the spring and with the pin, and an operating-leverfor actuating the slideoperating lever and the releasing lever, whereby the slide is moved to one side of the opening in one movement of the operatinglever and is automatically released upon a reverse movement of the operating-lever.

7. In a ballot-box, an arm arranged in one end thereof, a registering-disk located below the arm, and a pawl carried by the arm and engagingthe disk, in combination with a slidebar, a pin with which one end of the said bar engages, a spring connecting with the barand with a fixed portion of the boX, and a lever carried by the lid and adapted automatically to be brought into contact with the bar, whereby to release the latter and cause it to engage the arm.

8. In a ballot-box, a lid having an inletopening, a spring-actuated plate located below the opening, and a pin or projection carried by the plate, in combination with a registering device, a lever, a trigger, one end of which engages with the pin and the other end with the lever, a slide-bar carried by the box, and means for releasing the plate, whereby the trigger will be actuated to release the slide-bar and thus lock the register against operation.

9. In a ballot-box, a lid having an inletopening, a slide located below the opening, a printing device arranged above the opening, and an alarm-bell attached to the under side of the lid, in combination with an operatinglever and interposed mechanisms connecting the slide, the printing device, and the alarmbell with the lever, whereby when the latter is operated the slide, the printing device, and the alar1n-bell will be successively actuated.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERNEST C. REICHE.

\Vitnesses: WM. HUNTER MYERs, G. W. BALLOCH. 

